Okay, who came up with the brilliant idea of replacing the sand in an hourglass with bubbles? Whoever it was, the end result is absolutely beautiful! Just take a look at this creative product from designer Norihiko Terayama’s company Studio Note, and we think you’ll agree. The name of the product, Awaglass, is obviously a pun on the word “hour” and “awa“, which in Japanese means bubbles, and true to its name, the Awaglass involves lots of beautiful bubbles rising up from the lower half of the hourglass to the upper half. The bubbles truly create a fantastical picture, and we have the pictures and video below to share with you.

See, isn’t that lovely? It’s so pretty that it almost makes you forget the time passing by. But wait, isn’t the point of an hourglass to keep accurate track of time? Well, not in this instance. The bubbles actually can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to rise up, so the Awaglass is not intended to be an accurate timer. According to the designer of this unique product, the Awaglass should be used to enjoy the passage of time, not to measure time like a conventional hourglass.

The Awaglass contains a special bubble soap specifically formulated to create bubbles efficiently for maximum visual effect. The glass itself is also made by professional glass artisans who are experts at creating hourglasses, which is apparently becoming a rare and valuable skill these days.

For those of you who enjoyed the video above, there is also a long version if you want to take a longer look at the beautiful bubbles :

The Awaglass has been sold through the online store Novelax at a price of 5,250yen ($65), but they are apparently sold out at this time. We hope the product may become available again in the future. In an age where everyone seems pressed for time, we think it’s rather nice to be able to enjoy the passing of time with such a lovely object!

Sources: Novelax Store Online (Japanese) and bookofjoe (Japanese) via GIZMODO (Japanese)

Photos by: Norihiko Terayama